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The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 3/14, 1/15

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3/14: If the wunderkind said, "My name is Orson Welles. I invented the word 'genius' and defined it," I would've believed him.

He was one of the greatest directors ever lived. Look no further than Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, and The Lady from Shanghai. His third work of genius has the most implausible plot of them all, yet it's saved by three critical elements: Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, and Charles Lawton's cinematography.

One of the fastest-paced pictures I've seen, The Lady from Shanghai is that good and twisting. A dominating presence, Rita Hayworth lets her looks, especially the platinum blonde hair, to ward off any suspicions of being a femme fatale.

Orson Welles knew how to amp it up in any scene. Nowhere is this epitomized more than the Hall of Mirrors which is one of the finest and the most creative. It's surreal and Dalí-esque, having been possibly influenced by the dream sequence in Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound.

All in all, although the plot is difficult to swallow, The Lady from Shanghai is an undeniable Orson Welles classic.

1/15: If not for Charles Lawton's masterful cinematography, The Lady from Shanghai would've never been the film as it is.

Confusing and incomprehensible, Orson Welles' story is perfect for film noir, and his genius is that nothing is what it seems. How obvious Welles' character is being framed for a murder, yet he's willingly to go along with it.

Rita Hayworth is beautiful as the platinum blond siren who shocked everybody by radically changing the color of her hair. The most famous scene is the Hall of Mirrors which is something to behold. There's nothing like it. Once again, that's the genius of Orson Welles.

All in all, if I have to pick a top ten noir masterpiece, it's The Lady from Shanghai.